There are five main types of skin tone, varying from fair to deep. Knowing your skin is vital when choosing the best colour for your complexion. If you are unsure, most make-up and skincare retailers will be able to determine your colour for you and have colour charts available so you can find your perfect match. As a rule, pastel and natural colours tend to suit lighter skin, with rose and berry colours looking best on medium-toned complexions. For a tan skin tone, deep pinks and bright reds can look amazing, and for deep skin tones, go for browns, purples and blue-based reds.

Lip Shape

Lips come in all shapes and sizes, and perfecting the art of maximising your lip shape can take practice. For top-heavy lips, it is a good idea to use a slightly darker shade on the upper lip and a brighter colour on the top. For bottom-heavy lips, natural colours can look best, and for lips which can benefit from shaping, use a lip pencil in the same shade as the lipstick to provide the perfect shape.

If you are lucky enough to have glowing white teeth, then you don’t need to worry, but if you don’t want to draw attention to your teeth, avoid purples and bright shades. Remember to check your teeth are lipstick-free, especially if you are going on national TV!

Whether your hair is natural or dyed, the same rule applies as with the skin tone. For blonde and fair hair use light pink shades, and for dark hair go for gold and bronze. Brown hair suits corals and dusty pinks and redheads suit reddy browns.